Wednesday's letters

Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at 5:28 p.m.

Corporations' taxes low

Almost everyone wants tax reform. The fact is that is very unlikely to occur, at least in a meaningful way. Further, the loudest voices seem to be for corporate tax relief. This is disingenuous, or, more aptly put, dishonest.

Although the statutory corporate tax rate is 35 percent, which is the highest in the world, U.S. corporations pay far less. According to the New York Times (June 4, 2013) the Government Accountability Office reported that from 2008 through 2010, U.S. corporations paid at a rate of 12.6 percent annually. The only corporations that paid 35 percent were either very small or did not employ every accounting trick to minimize their taxes.

On top of that low rate, our esteemed politicians, Democrats as well as Republicans, see to it that subsidies in the billions, and other nefarious tax breaks given to their generous donors, make the net revenues from these benefactor corporations even lower.

So as with most ills in this country, the fault lies with those scalawags in Washington. The solution is so simple: term limits! There should be for all politicians a single term of six years. Then they could concentrate on legislating rather than what is currently their primary occupation: fundraising. Of course, that will never happen.

Allen Lewis

Nokomis

Deceit in IRS email story

Is there anybody who believes the IRS story that the Lois Lerner emails have been lost?

There has been zero honesty surrounding the entire tea-party or conservative targeting scandal. There has been so much deceit by the government.

Clearly, after two years of dithering, some spin doctor decided the best course of action was for the emails to disappear. Our government has no commitment to the truth.

Jean Arcamone

Englewood

Be patient with cyclists

Herald-Tribune Executive Editor Bill Church asks us to consider how we can create a safe environment for pedestrians, bicyclists and fellow motorists. We all know, or at least should know, that we are privileged to drive and that, while insulated in the cabin of our vehicle, we need to remember that we are controlling what can be a deadly weapon.

Recently while en route to my volunteer work at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, I had an encounter that I think illustrates how easily a tragedy can occur due to a lack of awareness and impatience.

When I stopped at Bahia Vista Street and Tuttle Avenue, heading south, the young woman in the car behind me was visibly impatient that I did not start a right-hand turn immediately when the light turned green. I could see her banging on her steering wheel and uttering all kind of expletives better not heard. What she did not see or notice was the rapidly oncoming bicyclist passing traffic, and imminently us, on the right. He blissfully passed on by, continuing south. He would have surely been airborne, flying over my hood and landing in the path of oncoming traffic, had I begun an immediate right turn.

The impatient lady? One of those folks we honor as a life saver, a nurse, who followed me, tailgating all the way, to the hospital garage. Awareness, patience, and a little courtesy could go a long way in the cause of safety.

Thomas E. Kearney

Bradenton

School Board cronyism

Responsibility, like charity, begins at home. I am upset with the unabashed cronyism displayed in the action of Gov. Rick Scott's appointing an insurance salesperson and three-time college dropout wife of a politician to fill a vacancy on our School Board, instead of a more experienced and public education-savvy applicant.

Will the sparks flare into a flame of indignation, or smoke a bit and die?

Michael Holahan

Sarasota

With ISIS, try KISS

I was a firefighter for 32 years and I always remember a deputy chief invoking the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid.

So now we have ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

After more than 10 years of fighting in Iraq, which was basically being a country under control, the place is way out of control.

There have been an estimated 190,000 lives lost there since the Bush invasion (Mission Accomplished!). Of those deaths there were 4,488 U.S. military, 3,400 U.S. contractors and who knows how many servicemen and their families injured in more ways than one. Total cost of the war: 2.2 trillion dollars. You want to talk about deficits since the Clinton surplus!

Now let us see if we can do this all over again. Start training the people over there, supply them with weapons, put up some more infrastructure while ours falls apart, put boots on the ground so they can blow us up and hate us. Oh did I forget to mention their military members surrendering? I did not see that in the training manual.

So as I said in the beginning, KISS. We are out! Stay out!

John J. Ruffing

Sarasota

Big Brother article a joy

Regarding the Sunday story about how one Big Brother became more like a dad:

Thank you for printing that article on Bobby Papazian and Garrett Bryant on Father's Day.

The timing of the article was perfect and painted a great picture of their story. I have known Bobby for many years and he is as genuine a man both inside and out.

The relationship that these two share is an incredible story and just shows it does not take much to change lives -- and it works as a two-way street.

The story is also such a change from the daily news. Thank you for helping us to remember the little things that are being done every day in our great city.

<p>Corporations' taxes low</p><p>Almost everyone wants tax reform. The fact is that is very unlikely to occur, at least in a meaningful way. Further, the loudest voices seem to be for corporate tax relief. This is disingenuous, or, more aptly put, dishonest.</p><p>Although the statutory corporate tax rate is 35 percent, which is the highest in the world, U.S. corporations pay far less. According to the New York Times (June 4, 2013) the Government Accountability Office reported that from 2008 through 2010, U.S. corporations paid at a rate of 12.6 percent annually. The only corporations that paid 35 percent were either very small or did not employ every accounting trick to minimize their taxes.</p><p>On top of that low rate, our esteemed politicians, Democrats as well as Republicans, see to it that subsidies in the billions, and other nefarious tax breaks given to their generous donors, make the net revenues from these benefactor corporations even lower.</p><p>So as with most ills in this country, the fault lies with those scalawags in Washington. The solution is so simple: term limits! There should be for all politicians a single term of six years. Then they could concentrate on legislating rather than what is currently their primary occupation: fundraising. Of course, that will never happen.</p><p>Allen Lewis</p><p>Nokomis</p><p>Deceit in IRS email story</p><p>Is there anybody who believes the IRS story that the Lois Lerner emails have been lost?</p><p>There has been zero honesty surrounding the entire tea-party or conservative targeting scandal. There has been so much deceit by the government.</p><p>Clearly, after two years of dithering, some spin doctor decided the best course of action was for the emails to disappear. Our government has no commitment to the truth.</p><p>Jean Arcamone</p><p>Englewood</p><p>Be patient with cyclists</p><p>Herald-Tribune Executive Editor Bill Church asks us to consider how we can create a safe environment for pedestrians, bicyclists and fellow motorists. We all know, or at least should know, that we are privileged to drive and that, while insulated in the cabin of our vehicle, we need to remember that we are controlling what can be a deadly weapon.</p><p>Recently while en route to my volunteer work at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, I had an encounter that I think illustrates how easily a tragedy can occur due to a lack of awareness and impatience.</p><p>When I stopped at Bahia Vista Street and Tuttle Avenue, heading south, the young woman in the car behind me was visibly impatient that I did not start a right-hand turn immediately when the light turned green. I could see her banging on her steering wheel and uttering all kind of expletives better not heard. What she did not see or notice was the rapidly oncoming bicyclist passing traffic, and imminently us, on the right. He blissfully passed on by, continuing south. He would have surely been airborne, flying over my hood and landing in the path of oncoming traffic, had I begun an immediate right turn.</p><p>The impatient lady? One of those folks we honor as a life saver, a nurse, who followed me, tailgating all the way, to the hospital garage. Awareness, patience, and a little courtesy could go a long way in the cause of safety.</p><p>Thomas E. Kearney</p><p>Bradenton</p><p>School Board cronyism</p><p>Responsibility, like charity, begins at home. I am upset with the unabashed cronyism displayed in the action of Gov. Rick Scott's appointing an insurance salesperson and three-time college dropout wife of a politician to fill a vacancy on our School Board, instead of a more experienced and public education-savvy applicant.</p><p>Will the sparks flare into a flame of indignation, or smoke a bit and die?</p><p>Michael Holahan</p><p>Sarasota</p><p>With ISIS, try KISS</p><p>I was a firefighter for 32 years and I always remember a deputy chief invoking the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid.</p><p>So now we have ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.</p><p>After more than 10 years of fighting in Iraq, which was basically being a country under control, the place is way out of control.</p><p>There have been an estimated 190,000 lives lost there since the Bush invasion (Mission Accomplished!). Of those deaths there were 4,488 U.S. military, 3,400 U.S. contractors and who knows how many servicemen and their families injured in more ways than one. Total cost of the war: 2.2 trillion dollars. You want to talk about deficits since the Clinton surplus!</p><p>Now let us see if we can do this all over again. Start training the people over there, supply them with weapons, put up some more infrastructure while ours falls apart, put boots on the ground so they can blow us up and hate us. Oh did I forget to mention their military members surrendering? I did not see that in the training manual.</p><p>So as I said in the beginning, KISS. We are out! Stay out!</p><p>John J. Ruffing</p><p>Sarasota</p><p>Big Brother article a joy</p><p>Regarding the Sunday story about how one Big Brother became more like a dad:</p><p>Thank you for printing that article on Bobby Papazian and Garrett Bryant on Father's Day.</p><p>The timing of the article was perfect and painted a great picture of their story. I have known Bobby for many years and he is as genuine a man both inside and out.</p><p>The relationship that these two share is an incredible story and just shows it does not take much to change lives -- and it works as a two-way street.</p><p>The story is also such a change from the daily news. Thank you for helping us to remember the little things that are being done every day in our great city.</p><p>Kelly Liebel</p><p>Sarasota</p>